Working within an ethical framework

Associations and professions that rely on Ethics at their core need a set of guidelines, these are known as Ethical Frameworks. The BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) has the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Profession. This is a living document that is updated regularly in order to stay current and relevant. The last update was in 2018. It provides a set of guidelines, principles, values and ethics that a Counsellor can consult when training and practising so that they can be sure they are working by the BACP’s standards.

One of the most important reasons to have an ethical framework is safety and protection. For Counsellors and Clients, it means that there is somewhere they can consult and report to, should there be any ethical dilemmas or issues. It also means that you can feel safe in the knowledge that you will have support should any problems arise.

 As a Counsellor, you can check the guidelines for how you can handle a certain situation. For example, if a Counsellor was told by a client that they were planning to harm themselves. The framework would advise that “In exceptional circumstances, the need to safeguard our clients or others from serious harm may require us to override our commitment to making our client’s wishes and confidentiality our primary concern.” (BACP Ethical Framework pg. 17, point 10). This means that a Counsellor knows that they can take steps to reduce the chance of their Client harming themselves by breaking confidentiality and, for example, speaking to their Doctor or partner. As they have acted within the guidance given, they can be sure that they will have the backing of the BACP to support the decision they have made. Without the guidance of the Framework, a Counsellor may keep the information confidential, and the client could end up seriously harming themselves. Also, if the Counsellor was not a member of the BACP, then they may end up getting sued by the client for breaking confidentiality.  

As a Client you can feel safe knowing that the Counsellor you have chosen is working within an Ethical Framework, and you can also read the framework so you know what standards you can expect from the Counsellor. Should anything go wrong, or you have any doubts about the counselling you are receiving, then you can consult the framework and speak to the BACP and raise a complaint if necessary. For example, if a Counsellor is contacting a client outside of sessions and making sexual advances towards a client, page 23 point 34 states that “We will not have sexual relationships with or behave sexually towards our clients, supervisees or trainees”.  This means that a client can be sure they are treated with respect and that the Counsellor will respect their boundaries and not take advantage of them. If a Counsellor was not registered with the BACP and made sexual advances towards a client then the client may not have anywhere to go to make a complaint about them. Without the framework, a Client may not trust the Counsellor, and this will influence the Counselling relationship and the work done may be harmful. If a Counsellor is not registered with the BACP, then the client may find it difficult to take any action against them through the judicial system as a criminal act may not have taken place. This is basically what it would be like should the BACP not provide a n ethical framework.

For the BACP and the Counselling Profession, the Ethical Framework provides standards that all Counsellors need to work to. This means that the Association and Profession can continue to work with the respect it deserves. Without an Ethical Framework, Counsellors would be free to work within their own ethical guidelines. This may differ greatly between Counsellors, meaning that the profession could come into disrepute if a Counsellor is acting with morals and ethics that would not be deemed a good standard. For example, a Counsellor that is working outside of the BACP may believe that a client’s homosexuality is the root of their problems and try to convince the Client that what they are doing is wrong and put them through Conversion Therapy. This would not be condoned by the BACP as it is harmful and against their principles of Autonomy, Beneficence and Non-maleficence. A client can end up being seriously harmed by such actions. The BACP can rest assured that the Counsellors registered with them are working to the standards they expect and that they won’t be bringing the Association or Profession into disrepute. If a complaint is made against a Counsellor and upheld by the BACP, then the Counsellor can be removed from the register. This means that they will not have the support of the BACP or the recognition that goes with being a member of the BACP. Not having a membership of the BACP or another organisation could mean that a Counsellor will lose clients and not be able to take on new ones as the trust will have gone.

The Ethical Framework is also useful to client’s that are new to counselling as it provides an explanation of how Counselling works and who is involved. It shows the client what to expect from their counselling sessions, how a relationship is built, the standards that a Counsellor will be working to the morals, ethics and principles held by a Counsellor and the BACP and what the outcome of their counselling should be. It also describes the process of Supervision so that a Client knows that their Counsellor is being supervised and continuing to care for themselves so that they can provide a good standard of service. Without the ethical framework, people that would be potential clients may not have any expectations or understanding of counselling and not seek help that is much needed. For example, they may not know that the counselling process is confidential and could worry that what they want to discuss may be passed on to other people, such as their friends and family. It is the boundaries that are discussed within the framework that help people understand that they will be safe to discuss their issues.

https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/